Birthdays and Bean Dip

Last night we went into Charlotte for a bike friends birthday. We had a fun time, as we always do with our bike friends. Bike people are good people. Tim had talked about making guacamole to take, but since we have to drive an hour, I didn't think guac would make the trip. On Friday I picked up a new cookbook at work and the first recipe I saw was for bean dip. When I got home from work Saturday we whipped up the bean dip super quick and it made the trip with no problems. In the lower right of the picture is my bean dip ( in a pretty glass bowl that matches one I inherited from my Grandmother)

Best Party Bean Dip

2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (you can use pintos)

1 cup of salsa

1/3 cup of taco seasoning

Blend in food processor until smooth. Serve warm or cold.

This afternoon we are going to our friend Ben's birthday. I think I'll make some more bean dip.

Books 10, 11, and 12

Title: Shelter Me
Author: Juliette Fay
Publication Date: 2009
Date Read: 2/6/09
Rating : 4.5
Notes: A very good book. Great plot, a young woman with two small children loses her husband. Before he died, the husband had arranged for a front porch to be added to the house as a suprise to his wife. Wonderful characters - Janie, the widow, her not so lovable mother Noreen, Janie's aunt and surrogate mother, Father Jake, some homeless people, and of course, the porch builder. The title is so fitting for the book - Shelter Me - has so many meanings in the novel. I very much recommend this book.

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: JK Rowling
Publication Date: 1997
Rating: 4
Notes: Just a re-read. There are so many little details in the book that the movie doesn't have.

Title: Where the Heart Leads
Author: Stephanie Laurens
Publication Date: 2008
Date Read: 2/18/09
Rating: 3
Notes: The story of Barnaby Adair and Penelope Ashford. Very likeable hero and heroine.

Happy Valentines Day

Yesterday was Valentines Day, and I managed to get cards made and mailed even though I've been deathly sick for like forever. I can't begin to tell you how many boxes of tissues I've gone through.

Last Saturday, I was feeling pretty decent, and went over to my friend Judi's to do some stamping. I got the cards made for the kids. My three nieces - Hannah, Sydney and Sarah - and my parents got the heart card. The base in Chocolate chip. The hearts were stamped with white ink on Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, and Riding Hood Red and then cut out. The heart stamp was Judi's, so I don't know what set it is from. The Be Mine greeting from Have a Heart was stamped on vanilla and a Pink Pirouette scallop border was added.

The two boys, Dylan and nephew Matthew got the truck card. The base in Riding Hood Red. And the other colors are Vanilla, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze. Nothing girly for the boys, even if the big pile of hearts in the back of the truck might be mushy.

Yesterday morning was the first time I had any energy to make cards for Tim and my friend Judi ( I can't send her a card that I made at her kitchen table). Thankfully Tim slept in long enough for me to be creative.I used a So Saffron base with Chocolate Chip and Ruby Red. The stamp set is Just B, which I had to mount, which took more time. The card looks kinda flat in the picture, but along the bottom of the Chocolate Chip layer I punched a line of holes - to match the dots along the letter B and the bee's trail. The little bee is cut out and mounted with a pop dot. For Christmas, my SIL Kirsten gave me a little mini heart muffin tin. So Thursday night I made Tim these little chocolate chip cheesecakes. They turned out delicious, but the whole effort was exhausting and I won't be messing with tiny, fussy, little cheesecakes for a long time. Tim's best Valentine present to me was cooking and cleaning and taking such great care of me while I've been sick - thank you honey.

Book 9: my favorite midlife crisis (yet)

Title: my favorite midlife crisis (yet)
Author: Toby Devens
Date: 2/3/09
Copyright Date: 2006
Rating: 3
Notes: Chick lit for the middle age. It has great characters - Gwyn, Kat, and Fleur - who through their friendship get through divorce (he's gay), widowhood, and finding a husband when you're fifty and overweight. All the women are strong and intelligent. There are a few wacky supporting characters and a few dramas. But it all works out in the end.

The Humans Christmas

The cats had a good Christmas with their felt mice, but Tim and I had a nice Christmas too. We each had a gift in out stocking which we opened on Christmas Eve. After the gifts we went to church - I love singing the holiday carols and the candle lights on the steps of the Church. For dinner we made fondue which didn't turn out so well, so we'll have to work on the recipe. Tim gave me a beautiful silver cross and I gave hi a pair of bike socks.

This page uses a Chocolate Chip cardstock for the background and a Old Olive square for the pictures. I traced the scallops from some packaging and cut them by hand. The pattern paper is Basic Grey Fruitcake and mounted on a piece of gold paper. The title is from a CM vellum pack and mounted on a Basic grey tag and attached to the page with Old Olive ribbon. The chipboard swirls are Fancy Pants Design and brushed with gold ink. The journaling strips and scallop circle are Bashful Blue with gold dots. And the little birdie I cut with my Big Shot out of Ruby Red. If you click on the photo you can make it larger and see all the gold details.